Conan is off to visit Garrad, a local Cimmerian. Garrad is not part of the Snowhawk tribe, so the shaman won't help him when a tree falls on him. On his way, Conan comes across Jongalt, who tells Conan that Garrad helped Jongalt and Corum, Conan's grandfather, fend off a tribe of Raven Picts. Garrad was stabbed in the heart with a lance, but a strange Pict, the Ghost Man,who none of the Cimmerians wanted to kill for some reason, somehow saved Garrad's life with magic. Garrad has not aged a day since. Conan finds another Cimmerian, Brax, aiding Garrad, who does not expect Garrad to see morning. Garrad claims he won't die because his heart beats no matter what happens to his body. He claims that years before, he spared the Pict who saved him, and that Pict placed the heart of a god in his body, preventing him from dying. He makes Conan swear that if he ever seems to die, Conan will cut the heart out and release his spirit. Conan earns the emnity of Kirhak, a local bully, when he refuses to fetch water for him and throws him in the stream, and that night he and Brax go visit Garrad again. Kirhak follows and throws a spear that brains a fully recoivered Garrad. Conan, in a fury, follows and spears Kirhak through the chest. Conan returns to cut the heart, still st rongly beating, from Garrad's body and it turns into a jewel, which is reclaimed by the ancient Pict. The Pict returns the heart to his god, a giant bat-like creature, who flies away.